12

Myfanwy loved Alice on sight, the little girl still in her little nightgown as she ate her breakfast, her eyes firmly on the dog. Janet didn't mind a playmate either. The little cat and the German Shepherd bounded about as Alice laughed, choking on her milkshake before bolting after them and Jack watched Ianto quietly clean up after the child.

"What do you want to do now?" Jack asked "You can't go back there. Full of police and investigators. It's basically a crime scene now. I think… maybe the spare room? Stay here with us?"

"I can't impose like that!" Ianto huffed.

"It's almost Christmas. Sty here, enjoy Christmas with us and maybe in the new year we can talk things over. I mean… you ever considered a flatmate? See how it goes?" Jack asked. "This is your house after all."

"Flatmates? Well… we can see about that. Negotiate maybe" Ianto blinked and Jack leered as he winked, then Ianto snorted with mirth as he saw the offer there.

"Maybe" he finally said softly "We would like that. Myfanwy at least, has found love with your girl."

Jack laughed as he watched the dog race past, Alice following with her little gumboots flashing underneath her nightgown. "Alice… come on. Come get dressed ya nutter."

Ianto looked around his old house and saw the new life inside it. He watched the little girl embrace his dog and then turned to the man who was standing close by doing the dishes and he took Jack's face in his hands kissing him gently. Bubbles rolled down Jack's arms and he hummed happily into the kiss.

"Flatmates indeed" Ianto said as he pulled away and Jack grinned as he agreed that they might want to play around this a little longer... but not much longer. No. They both knew they were going to be more than just flatmates if they took the road ahead together.

Christmas was going to be interesting …. the new year? Looking great.

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Ianto was in the general store staring at the display of dolls, trying to work out which ones Alice already had when a noise interrupted his inspection of his phone. The photo he had taken of her collection on her shelf was some help but he hadn't known that some were the same colour but different. He turned to find Gwen there snarling at him. Great.

"Go away Gwen" he said flatly, turning back to the dolls but she was not ready to leave just yet.

"Why are you still here, didn't we get rid of you yet?" she snarled. Ianto blinked then slowly turned to her once more.

"How is your cousin? His leg ws broken pretty badly hen I chucked him down the stairs" Ianto said with a wide smile as he hit record on the phone still in his hand "It was you wasn't it. You told them to dress like that to scare me, use my religion against me, right? Herne? You are the one who told your family that one of the gods I worship is a man who is also a stag spirit right?"

"They almost had to amputate hi leg you piece of shit. You had no right to be there in that house" she was bristling "You got my uncle and two of my cousins arrested. Do you have any idea how much that crop was worth? One of our best!" she demanded "That was going to pay for my wedding!"

Ianto blinked, and then could help the soft laughter "Really? The illegal hydro set up under the house that they were trying to scare me away from was… yours?"

"Weddings are not cheap and that was going to pay for it, and my honeymoon in Paris" she was shaking with rage now "you never seem to take a hint to you. I will make you pay for that, for costing me that crop. Your family were always weird and you… you little bum fucker, when I am finished with you the entire town will chase you out with pitchforks! It's a sin to lay with another man!"

"I'm weird? Go ahead. Try your worst. Don't you know? Did the attack in my home tell you nothing about me Gwen? If you come at me, I will not run away anymore. I will meet you head on. So come on… go tell someone I just did something to you." Ianto sighed. "Lie your big tits off yet again. Sooner or later, your chickens WILL come home to roost ya know."

"This is a dead zone. Used to work here ya know, no cameras. I could. I could say you just touched my breast. Or... maybe you shoved me against the shelving and shoved your hand down my top, I like this top but I can always buy another. I only have to rip it a little" she chortled "They will believe me over you. Freak"

"Me. The gay guy?"

"Gay! You are a fucking poo pusher and a disgusting piece of filth that should not be around that little girl." Gwen changed tack real fast and Ianto blinked as he saw the real reason for her animosity.

"You thought you had a chance with him, didn't you. Right? You wanted Jack and you are pissed that I have come in and swooped him up. Right? That's it? You're jealous!" Ianto sneered now, enjoying the rush of anger on her face that told him he was right "What about Rhys. He's a good man. You could really shag someone else behind his back?"

"That man is gorgeous. Movie star gorgeous, I would have fucked him into the mattress and Rhys would make me dinner while I wash him off later!" Gwen said with confidence "Like he does with all my other lovers in this town!"

"Who else would have you!" Ianto demanded.

"Henry over in the butchery department, Miles at the post office when his wife is out of town, Denver from the fire house to name a few. I have more lovers than you've probably opened your arse cheeks for, that's for sure!" she sniffed.

"Oh. What makes you think I am the receiver?" Ianto asked then flounced down the aisle "Bye Gwen. Good luck with that wedding!"

Her look of shock as she gaped at him was worth it as he snatched a couple of dolls in passing.

He checked his hone and stopped record.

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